Electrical coupling



J. BUCHL 1,766,594

ELECTRICAL COUPLING June 24, 1930.

Filed Oct. 1, 1921 Patented June 24-, 1930 UNITED STATES Arar OFFICE JACOB BUCHLI, OF BADEN, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOE TO AK'IIENGESELLSGHAFT BROVTN IBOVERI & CIE., OF BADEN, SWITZERLAND ELECTRICAL GOUPLING Application filed October 1,1921, Serial No. 504,870, and in Switzerland October 14, 1920.

In electrical couplings of the plug type, the plug and socket have hitherto had a certain amount of spring action relative to each other with the result that a good contact can be maintained only so long as the said spring action does not weaken, in which latter case the contact deteriorates and, owing to sparking or to a too small area of contact, burning takes place at the contact places or the contact places themselves become fused or burned together, often to such an extent that they can no longer be separated from each other.

Those drawbacks are obviated according to the present invention, which consists in this that instead of the plug and socket being pressed together by an uncontrollable spring pressure, they are now pressed together by lever action.

With this object the fixed contact (socket or plug) of the coupling is divided 1ongi-.

tudinally into a plurality of sectors and is provided with a pressing device by means of which, after the insertion of the coupling contact (plug or socket) connected to the movable lead, the sectors of the fixed coupling contact are pressed together or are forced apart as the case may be.

As an embodiment of this invention, the accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example av uni-polar electric coupling for railway vehicles.

The plug a is fixed to the sleeve (2, and is shown in the figure just inserted in the socket which latter is composed of two separate halves c and (Z. These two halves are fitted together at their upper ends by means of overlapping tongues constituting a kind of hinge e, by means of which they are capable of movement relative to one another throughout their entire length in such a manner as to enable their common bore f to be contracted and enlarged.

The lower socket half 0 is electrically connected to the connector Z which is carried through the coupling casing g in an insulated manner by means of an insulator j and is provided with a terminal c.

' he two halves of the socket are pressed together by swinging the hand lever h from the position I into the position II, whereby the eccentric 2' located in the upper portion of the casing is caused to ress upon the stud m and the insulating disc at which rests upon the upper socket half (Z.

0 is a pin fixed in the disc at; it serves as a guide both to the disc at and for the socket halves 0, (Z. 19 is a spring having a constant tendency to press the stud on against the eccentric 2'. The casing g has cast on its upper end at a suitable angle a flange g by means of which the socket part of a coupling is attached to the vehicle r.

The eccentric i is so adjusted that, when the coupling is open the lever h is at the top in the position I, and when the coupling is closed, the said lever is at the bottom in position II, in order that gravity shall always tend to close the coupling and that the latter shall not be able to open automatically.

The eccentric may, of course, be replaced by an equivalently-operating device such as toggles or cams or toothed gear, for instance, a pinion engaging in a rack, or the like. The hinge-like joint 0 may also have a diiierent construction from that shown and may likewise be replaced by a rigid connection around which the two sockethalves c, cl are bent elastically and are held in the bent position by the pressing device.

Moreover, the socket may be subdivided into a greater number 01"- parts than two. Further, the socket may be mounted on the movable lead and the plug may be mounted on the fixed casing. In such a case the plug would have to be slit and provided with a spreading device corresponding to the press ing device it, 2', 'm, a, 0, p. The nature and manner of clamping together the detachable contacts according to this invention is, of

course, not limited to electric couplings for vehicles but may be adopted with any plug coupling or contact.

What I claim is 1. An electric coupling of the plug and socket type including a casing, a socket member located in said casing and subdivided into a plurality of relatively movable sectors, and a pressing device associated with the sectors and including cooperating members, one of the last-mentioned members constituting a guide for the sectors and the other member being supported in said casing.

2. An electric coupling of the plug and socket type including a casing, a socket member located in said casing and subdivided into a plurality of relatively movable sectors. and a pressing device associated with the sectors and including cooperating members, one of the last-mentioned members constituting a. guide for the sectors and the other member being supported in said casing and means insulating the socket member from the casing andv from the pressing device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JACOB BUGHLI. 

